Que Le Vaya Bien 2009 part 1

girls from my site.

christmas eve.

my boys from fourth grade. the kid on the left is jefferson and i call him senor presidente.

Ito and his family singing songs on christmas eve.

christmas eve/what these guys do everyday, play cards and whistle at the girlies.

campo!

carmela's house.

where i live now. with light, and in the house above there is a super nice bathroom.

where i was going to live, but there is no bathroom nor water nor light.

La Cancha

Don Tonio and me on graduation day. his nephew Ito graduated from high school.

this is the picture of Los Lideres. Alcalde (Mayor) Adrian, Diablo, Volunteer Miguel, Director Don Chem

gerson

super cute little girl and carlos after graduation.

carlos on graduation day.

below the kids you can see names. those are all the names of the kids who were killed in el mozote.

the memorial in el mozote where many people were killed.

johnny and willy. this is the first day i ever hungout with them.

Bonding in Boys Room

The last few weeks have been very busy here in El Salvador.
The country is still dealing with the loss of over 250 people in San Vicente due to mudslides which were due to a tropical storm and of course deforestation. The people here are used to this sort of way of life, dealing with some sort of disaster and mainly trying to "sobrevivir" or survive everyday. It makes you wonder how or what you can do to empower these people, to improve the quality of life, and to hope that maybe others around the world who are more fortunate see this and decide to help.

For the past week I have been in San Salvador with the other youth development volunteers for more training, but this time to learn about how we can make differences in the lives of the people in our communities. We have learned how to put on youth camps, environmental camps, sports tournaments, english classes, and also how to start small businesses, and prepare students for college or the workforce.

We have one week left of training and this next week should be even better. On tuesday we are going to visit a volunteer that I am really interested in seeing. He is going to show us his theatre group, but what I am more interested in is his break dance team that he started. Of course I cannot break dance nor have I ever break danced, but I do have a lot of kids in my community that can and it would be a really great project for them to be involved in.

Lastly there are 16 youth development volunteers and we are staying in a hotel and have been having a really great time getting to hangout for the past week. But because there are more girls than guys there are a few rooms that have guys and girls in them, except for ours, which includes 4 guys and myself and was named "the boys room". The boys room is a magical place where you can smell however you want to smell, not worry about hygiene or lack of bathing, and of course use the bathroom with the door open. Honestly, it has been a lot of fun and as bad as it smells (all the girls say its like a combination of shoes, pizza, and farts) everyone seems to want to hangout there more than anywhere.

I hope everyone had a great thanksgiving and is getting ready for the holiday season. I know it has been snowing back home, but here it is warm, sunny, and all around beautiful.

Chucho

I have been in San Salvador since October 29.
I am not on vacation. And I am not sick.

I got bit by a dog.

In the United States the dog is known as "man's best friend."
In El Salvador the dog is known as "man's animal that he doesnt have for the sole purpose of raising to one day kill and eat".

The dog in the United States is a pet, a friend, and a part of the family.
The dog in El Salvador is an alarm, a defense mechanism, and a biter.

The other day I was hanging out with some kids, playing with them in front of their house, and because I am brilliant I saw a dog that was watching us and reached out to pet its head. The dog then bit me and then I screamed a few choice words in english and ran to the house next door which is luckily where I hangout everyday to clean my hand and cry.

At first I was scared. The bite felt like it he went through the palm of my hand and I began to worry that it might have punctured a nerve and would begin to destroy the rest of my hand. After a few minutes I started to move my fingers and the pain began to go down and I knew I would be fine.

I boarded a bus to the closest town, Ilobasco, and went to a clinic where there is free healthcare. For everyone. Everyone. I didn't have to wait long and then I called the Peace Corps office and they told me to come in to San Salvador. It was 7pm and there was no way I could get to San Salvador and I was not in any sort of an emergency, so the next morning I headed here and have been here since then.

They have just been monitoring my hand, making sure it did not get infected, and making sure it stays super clean. The two areas that they were worried about weren't even that big, but one is in my palm and they had to make sure it wasn't serious.

Tomorrow I get to go back home and then the next day I will meet back up with my fellow volunteers in my group for 2 weeks of training in San Vicente.

It has been really tough this past week, not because my hand hurts, but because I really want to be in my site and I miss my community. But I think about that night that it happened and laugh, because when we were cleaning my hand in my friend Jimmys house, his aunt, who is usually really quiet, said with all sincerity "Ese chucho, lo voy a matar. Lo voy a matar (That dog, I'm gonna kill it. I'm gonna kill it)."

That is love.

Say dude!

Teaching english,
Dancing bachata,
Bathing in the river,
Playing FIFA Soccer 09 on playstation 2,
Napping everyday in a hammock,
Playing guitar and singing songs,
Drinking café de El Salvador,
Making up magic tricks,
And community organizing.

I had my Asamblea General yesterday. It is a big meeting for the community where I explained to them what Peace Corps, who I am, what I have done so far, what I am going to do soon, and what I hope to do. It was a lot of fun. I have some pictures of my community, although I want to have more pictures but the batteries do not really last here.

Me and Jesús at the river
Jesús and Chele
Jesús in my favorite picture.
Me

Golden Boy

Oooooh Golden Boy.

Everyday I hear this. David (15 years old), usually referred to as Diablo, is the one who created this name. We still cannot figure out where it came from. He claims that his brother Jimmy (18 years old) said Golden for some reason and then David said Golden Boy and then I said, "That's right! I am Golden Boy!"

And it is sticking.
People call me Golden Boy, Miguel, Miguelito, Miggy, Miguelon, or Grant Weldon.
It is amazing how close I am getting to everyone just after one month.
I am beginning to really start some serious projects, and I am constantly overwhelmed by the love I receive from my community.

What am I doing?
House visits,
English classes,
And futbol and softball.

House visits.
It is exactly what it sounds like. I walk around, I invite myself in, they tell me to come in, they make me sit down, they always ask if I want something to drink or eat, I never say no (ever), and then I ask what they think the youth in the community and the community in general need. Sometimes they get really detailed, sometimes they do not really know what they are supposed to say, and most times they just want any help that I can give. The other day I went to this house and this old man started talking to me about how important friendship between countries are and he said something so simple yet profoundly important for what I am doing. He said "La amistad es mas vale que dinero" which means friendship is worth more than money. Brilliant.

English classes.
On saturday I give two English classes, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. I have only taught the classes for 2 saturdays, but I usually have anywhere from 20 to 40 students a class and they are really interested and learning quickly. I am also going to start up classes again in january and whenever I start those they will actually go for 5 months, every saturday, and if the students attend 75 percent of the class and pass a final exam they will receive a diploma with the Peace Corps logo and signatures from me and the mayor. Also we are going to take trips, do mini projects in the community, and of course learn english.

Futbol and Softball.
Every wednesday and sometimes on saturday I play futbol with this one group of guys. It is a great way to integrate and get to know them and hangout, but also I am trying to get a little better so maybe I can play on their team. This sunday I am actually starting up a softball team with girls, and guys if they show up, and I am going to buy some bases and I am very excited. I am going to be their coach and hopefully we will be able to play other teams, have tournaments, and dominate Central America!

Most importantly I am just constantly learning, talking, and listening.
I eat lots of pupusas, drink lots of coffee, and dearly miss Lite Bite, starbursts, and jolly ranchers.
If you want to send me a letter, photo, package, candy, or peanut butter then check your email and if I do not send you emails and you want me to then send me an email at grantweldon7@yahoo.com.

They Want to Rent a Bus, And Use Our Parking Lot As a Meeting Place

http://www.esmitv.com/vernoticia.aspx?id=1197

There are a few times you can see my face, the short Salvadoran man speaking is the Vice President, and the girl sitting in the front in the black dress is super pretty.

The first two months of Peace Corps are really about one thing, food. I eat food all the time. I will be walking and start talking to someone and then they will buy me food, or they invite me into their house to make me food, because Salvadorans love with you their food. Yesterday was Independence Day here and they showed the movie The Patriot in spanish on tv here. So I told this guy that I hangout with that I really wanted to watch it but couldn't because my host family goes to sleep at 8 and the movie is at 9. He invited me over and when I went to his house he had bought a thing of grape soda, water, and lots of chips. I ate almost all the chips.

Food is really just a way of integrating and it is a great way to show that you are in love with this country and these people. Whenever I eat the food I will say, "Oh my gosh! This is amazing! There is no way you could have made this! Are you an angel, because this is heavenly!" And they love it. It means a lot to them. And it makes them feel awesome.

I also got invited to go to the beach with a lot of people from my community a few days ago. I did not even hesitate to say yes. They rented a bus and we all jammed ourselves in it and drove 2 hours to the beautiful and sandy beach called Costa Del Sol. We rented a hammock and played soccer and chased each other and got to know each other.

Right now I am living with the Niña Cruz and her four boys who are 18, 13, 10, and 6. The 13 year old and I get along really well. He is only 13, but he seems a lot older. Most of these kids seem older where I live because they have to work in the farms and are asked to be responsible for a lot. I really like the kids in my house and I have a HUGE room with a couch and hammock and a nice bed and even a fridge. I will only live in this house for the next 2 months and then I will go back to San Vicente for 2 more weeks of training and then I will come back to my site forever and hopefully live in this one house I have my eyes on.

I really love my site too.
I really liked it the first day,
But now I think I love it.

It is really hot where I live. They told me it was really cool, but it is not, it is super hot. There are a few rivers where I live, and one of them is mainly used to catch fish to sell in the nearby communities. The river I usually go to is not too deep, but it is just right. I usually start walking with one of the kids in my house in the morning and then other kids see me and follow us. I bring a few balls that my mom sent that are just perfect for the water, and I also bring some shampoo. We get there and strip to our undies, jump in, splash around, bathe, and walk back home for lunch.

What I really like is that there is a one hour bus ride from the closest town to my community. We wind down a dirt road that is being paved right now and is going to look incredible. The views on the way there are incredible. Green hills, soft clouds, and fields of corn seemed to be rolled out for the entrance. There are only 2 real streets in my community. Once I get there there are a few stores that sell soda and chips and candy that have really cool people to chat with, there is a beautiful huge new catholic church, and the soccer field.

The people are really amazing here. I get to know them so much more every day and I am excited to see what we are going to do.

Peace Corps Volunteer

Yesterday I was sworn in as a Peace Corps Volunteer in El Salvador.
The ceremony was held at the Ambassadors Residence which had one of the most elegant bathrooms I have ever seen in my life.

We had 5 speakers, the Acting Country Director, the Ambassador, some other man whose title I forget, a trainee from our group named Eric, and the Vice President of the Republic of El Salvador, Salvador Sanchez. It was a very special and inspiring and ceremony. The Vice President was one of the commanders of the FMLN guerrilla group during the civil war, before they were a political party. Now he is Vice President and also the head of the Ministry of Education. His words were great. The importance of education, and even more so, the importance of educating the children. Truly incredible to see this man who 20 or 30 years ago did not really have the best opinion about the 33 of us, and stand and encourage us to really live in the pueblo, to help, and to educate.

And now I head to my site. For 2 years. Saying goodbye to the people I got to know for 2 months. The same people that feel like my brothers and sisters. And now to share the hope and peace and love that I honestly feel for these people, and help.

Hey Jennifer...

... we're home.
Those are the first words that I said when we landed in El Salvador June 8th, 2009 to Jennifer Turner. I really meant it too. But until yesterday I have not really felt it. That isn't to say that the people here are not incredibly warm, they are, or that I feel more and more at home everyday, I do, it is just that I now know where I am going to live and the transition from trainee to volunteer is more real.

I am going to live in:
Departmento Las Cabanas
Municipio Jutiapa
Canton Carolina
Caserio El Empalme

So where exactly are you living, in a city, how big is it, and what does Caserio mean? Take it easy mom. I am going to live in El Empalme. It has about 400 homes with a school of 360 kids and 7 teachers. El Empalme is in a Canton which is a little bigger than a Caserio, and then it is within the municipal of Jutiapa which is in the department of Las Cabanas. I am just north of San Vicente, where we have been doing our training, and only 3 hours away from San Salvador, the capital.

The best part, to me, is that I am the first volunteer and I am going to work with a very enthusiastic school director who is very excited and ready to work and begin projects with the youth. The plan is for us to leave our host families this thursday for San Salvador and then Friday we will swear in and Saturday afternoon I will arrive in my site where I will live for 2 years.

After we all found out our sites and put a star with our name on it on the this big map in the training center we went out for just a little bit to celebrate. We were all discussing our sites, sharing the teaser amount of information with one another when a trainee in my group said "I feel like we are really in Peace Corps now. Like we are seriously in Peace Corps." It's true. The honeymoon phase will soon be gone and while we are still mentally preparing we will be walking into our sites, meeting our new neighbors, and for some us integrating into a community that has never ever had a Peace Corps volunteer.

Pre Dance and Paint

Untouchable.
San Antonio Caminos,
is untouchable.

We just found this out today. I don't know if our spanish teacher told us because it is true, or the more likely reason, because she knew with our big egos it would fulfill all of our hopes to be super volunteers.

But I just got a text that it looks like it is going to rain really hard.
Scroll down to see what I did this weekend.
Friday was the dance to raise funds to paint the basketball court.
Saturday we painted the basketball court.
And not pictured is our celebration in San Salvador.

Dance and Paint

Los Intocables de San Antonio Caminos
cool kids.

my hand is the one in red, right above the d.
After


Before
The kids and los intocables after the dance.
After about an hour of begging kids to dance they finally came out to the floor.
Saul, DJ Alberto on the mic, and Manuel
The bichas serving drinks.

Pepe Peligro

You Don't Want To Poke The Fire

Spanish class. Diego. Diego Fuego is what Benjamin calls him.
Diego is sort of a boyfriend to another trainee. Sort of. And
Benjamin makes this into conversation somehow every day.
Usually it involves this trainee discovering a new boyfriend,
From El Salvador, and it is amazing how timing can work.
Benjamin said something how you do not want to make
Diego mad, and I said, "No quiere poquear el fuego."

Tres Niveles

This past weekend was the time during training where all the trainees visit current volunteers, and so the 33 of us set off to meet 33 other volunteers out of the 150. Before I left I was told by my spanish teacher that there are three types of volunteers: a volunteer, a really good volunteer, and a super volunteer.

I got Jed "Benjamin" Byers, super volunteer.

He lives in the department of Sonsonate in a Caserio named El Tular. He replaced another volunteer named Martin who was also a super volunteer and is still infamously known in El Tular. He had lots of English classes, created scholarships, and literally built a bridge in his site. Needless to say, Benjamin had big shoes to fill, and I believe he already has done so and has more than a year to do even more projects and development.

The first day I met Jesus, which was not as emotional as my first encounter with him when I was a child at an Easter service in Church, but just as exciting to stay with him in his house in a Canton called San Lucas. Bejamin and I went to this pueblo nearby for his second English class that had around 45 students. It was a beginner level class, but it was very exciting and it was a great example of what a typical English class looks like.

The next day we walked around a lot to collect money for a stove project that Martin, the previous volunteer, started and that Benjamin has continued to promote. It basically allows the people who buy these stoves to save money on buying wood and it also decreases the amount of smoke so it makes it healthier for the environment and the people living in the house.

The best part about this whole trip is that Martin, who left El Salvador in November of 2008, was here on vacation and I got to meet him. It was amazing, and I got to be a part of an English class with Martin the ex volunteer, Benjamin the volunteer, and myself the trainee. We were a part of an advanced class with 9 guys and they were super hilarious, brilliant, and a few them will probably get scholarships to study in the USA.

An amazing weekend.
Beautiful people.
Lots of love.
and sweat.
Sweet sweat.

Ingenio Ingenio, Amapulapa Amapulapa

Road outside of the school.

Lest we forget.

Feeding the cows mangos.

Just part of the scenery on a walk right outside of the school.

Not as good as Kim Cypert, but close.

Laughing about getting my hair cut from my host sister. And sort of crying.

Cati and her little brother Miguel.

The volcano on my way back home.

Another pool with a cool slide.

Luis.

One of the pools in Amapulapa. There are tiny fish in there that nibble on your feet.

And an awesome waterfall.

Brad and his host family, and Benjy.